Championship Odds: Who are the favourites in the top-scorer market for 2021/22?
With the new Championship campaign kicking off next Friday, we’ve taken a closer look into the top-scorer betting market to see which players are favourites to clinch the second-tier’s prestigious Golden Boot award.
Who leads the way?
Fulham hitman Aleksandar Mitrovic is the current bookmaker favourite in the Championship odds for top goalscorer at 8/1. The striker - who often takes penalties for the Cottagers - is well-known to the division having previously finished as the league’s top-scorer in 2019/20, when Fulham earned promotion to the top-flight after winning the play-offs.
Mitrovic shared the award with then-Brentford striker Ollie Watkins, with both players scoring 26 goals. He is a player of Premier League quality who always flourishes in the second-tier, so it is unsurprising to see his price in the market shorter than the rest of the names in the list.
Fulham are also 6/1 favourites to win the league this time out with Marco Silva at the helm, and with plenty of creative influence to support Mitrovic in the final-third in the shape of Tom Cairney and Bobby Reid, there is a huge opportunity for the Serbian to clinch his second Golden Boot award this term.
Morning, @FulhamFC fans!
Here's every goal Aleksandar Mitrovic has scored on his way to the top of the #SkyBetChampionship goalscoring charts.
Sit back, relax and enjoy!
#EFL https://t.co/O0RYQa0XW7
Second-favourite in the market is Blackburn front man Adam Armstrong, who is 9/1 at the time of writing. The former Newcastle striker lit up the division last season, finding the net 28 times in 40 games but fell short of winning the award thanks to the prolific Ivan Toney scoring 33 times in 48 games for Brentford.
Nobody bettered Armstrong’s minutes-per-goal total of 124, though, and this time out he will be determined to outscore his fellow professionals. It remains to be seen whether Armstrong will be plying his trade in the Championship this season, however, with a departure from Ewood Park a strong possibility as Southampton are heavily-linked with the 24-year-old’s signature.
If he does stay put, then he is certainly a player worthy of consideration for top-scorer given his performances last term, however the loss of Harvey Elliott - who provided 11 assists for Rovers in 20/21 - could have a detrimental affect on his chances this time out.
Cardiff striker Kieffer Moore follows up in the Championship odds for top-scorer at 16/1. The Wales international endured a fine campaign last season, netting 20 league goals as the Bluebirds narrowly missed out on the play-offs. He then played a part in Wales’ qualification to the last-16 of Euro 2021, scoring against Switzerland in the group stage, so will enter this season brimming with confidence.
Moore is an experienced striker whose physicality suits the rigours of the Championship perfectly. At 6ft 5 he is a towering presence, illustrated by the fact that a quarter of his league goals last term were scored via his head. With so many opportunities coming from balls being flooded into the box from out wide, there will be plenty of chances for Moore to run up another healthy goal-haul in 2021/22.
Karlan Grant is also a 16/1 shout heading into the new campaign. The West Brom striker saw playing time limited in the Premier League, starting just 14 games for the Baggies last season, but is expected to see an increase in opportunity in the Championship. The 23-year-old is a tenacious forward who loves to exploit space in behind defences with his blistering pace, while his finishing in front of goal is second to none.
Grant scored 19 goals in 43 games for Huddersfield in the Championship during the 2019-20 season, proving his quality in the second-tier. He doesn’t possess the same level of physicality as Mitrovic and Moore, though his raw ability, pace and finishing ability makes him a huge threat for a side who will have one of the strongest squads in the league this time around.
Decent outside shouts
Seasoned Championship goal-finder Charlie Austin is 20/1 in the market. The 32-year-old returned to QPR on loan in January and scored 8 league goals for the Loftus Road side throughout the second half of the season. The move was made permanent last month and Austin will spearhead Rangers’ attack in 21/22, hoping to build on his solid form.
In total, Austin has scored 85 goals in the Championship during his career, so his unrivalled experience in the division makes him a solid proposition in the top-scorer market this term. He is a bullish front man who has the ability to dominate defences; alongside his prolificity in front of goal, Austin is certainly not one to be underestimated.
There’s plenty of hype around Bournemouth this season, with many believing that Scott Parker is the man who will propel them back to the Premier League. The Cherries are among the favourites for promotion, so this lends plenty of appeal to the 20/1 on offer for Dominic Solanke to finish as the league’s top goalscorer.
While the former Chelsea man is yet to fully realise his potential on the south coast, he has been steadily improving and last season ended the campaign with an impressive 15 goals to his name. He’ll be looking to go one better this time out, and with the likes of Arnaut Danjuma and David Brooks creating quality chances for him from midfield, the 23-year-old should reap the rewards in front of goal.
Each-way worth a play
It’s worth remembering that most bookies are offering four places each-way at 1/4 odds in this market, therefore backing a player at longer odds can also prove profitable, as if they finish in the top-four you will still accrue some profit.
The likes of Sheffield United striker Oliver McBurnie - who scored 22 Championship goals for Swansea in 2018/19 - is 40/1 with BetVictor, as is Bournemouth’s Arnaut Danjuma, who last season netted 17 league goals - just three goals shy of the top-four.
Both players could prove profitable selections in the each-way market, especially given the fact they play for two of the division’s strongest teams who will likely create a lot of goalscoring opportunities.
A full list of odds can be found below.
Championship Odds - Top Scorer 2021/22
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28.6%
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11.1%
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4.8%
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3.8%
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3.8%
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3.8%
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3.8%
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2.9%
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2.9%